More roses~Nature Notes~121511

It rained here in the desert Monday night and since I was still sick with my flu, I slept in Tuesday morning until about 8:00 a.m.   That's LATE for someone like me, who usually gets up at 4:30 am!!!  But, by 8:00, the rain had stopped and I wanted to drive to our nearby park, set up my tripod, and take some photos of the roses with raindrops on them.  So I did!  I was dismayed to see that many roses have been pulled off and thrown on the ground carelessly by people who frequent the park.  Some have been bent...sigh...But, at least for now, there are many, many flowers and buds still on the bushes and I'll continue to visit them as often as I can.  I appreciate their beauty, their grace, and their color!  Nature Notes for December 15, 2011.  All roses are at the Palm Desert civic center park. Don't you love their color and variety?  To visit Nature Notes, please go to:  http://ramblingwoods.com/

Water on pansy~Macro Monday~121211

I was waiting for my friend Susan a couple of weekends ago because we were heading up to the horse ranch and she was coming to help me groom a couple of the horses.  I looked down and saw that some of the flowers on the divider strip on one of the streets had beautiful flowers and the sprinklers had just turned off.  I focused on this pansy, with the water droplets sitting on the top of it.  Isn't it beautiful?  Macro Monday for December 12, 2011. To visit Lisa's Macro Monday, please go to:  http://lisaschaos.com/

Pansies~Mellow Yellow Monday~121211

Cheerful, bright pansies for Mellow Yellow Monday.  No, these aren't in my garden.  They are on a strip on El Paseo Drive, in my town.  MYM for December 12, 2011.  To visit MYM, please go to this link:  http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

Yellow rose~Mellow Yellow Monday~120511

Once again, I spent the morning down at my local park, taking photos of the roses there.  I now do this every weekend and I'm constantly discovering new angles and lighting situations.  I find this very relaxing.  The ducks are out, the fountain is on, people are out walking their dogs...it's a very pleasant way to begin the day!  Mellow Yellow Monday for December 5, 2011.  To visit MYM, please follow this link:  http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

Light pink rose~Flowers on Saturday~120311

I found this pretty pink rose in the city's rose garden.  I like to take my camera down there and just take photos of their roses, since I can't grow any of my own!  Flowers on Saturday for December 3, 2011. To visit Flowers on Saturday, please go to:  http://blueberrycraftandhobbytime.blogspot.com/

Status of my garden~120311

The seeds have sprouted and I can now identify desert lupine and California poppies.  Not that many sunflowers have survived, however.  I planted two packets of them and only about 6 have survived.  I'm not going to replant them.  And, I haven't planted my sweet peas out back, along the fence yet...sigh...Anyway, here's a peek at what my front side garden looks like today, December 3, 2011.

Desert yellow~Mellow Yellow Monday~112811

I was out and about early this morning and I found this delightful yellow flower over at The Gardens in Palm Desert. The wildflower seeds I threw out have now sprouted in my front yard.  I can already identify Desert Lupine and California poppies.  It won't be long now before they are blooming.  Mellow Yellow Monday for November 28, 2011. To visit Mellow Yellow Monday, go to:  http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

Roses after the rain~Today's Flowers~112711

After an overnight rain, I headed over to our civic center park early one morning, before school, to look at the roses.  Aren't they pretty with the water drops on them?  The park was nearly deserted except for some early birds out walking their dogs, and the ducks, who were lined up next to the lake, and me!  Today's Flowers for November 27, 2011.

Texas lavendar~Sunday Stills Challenge~112711

This week's challenge was bokeh, which I never heard of before, and I had to read up on it.  Bokeh means basically "out of focus" and means that while your subject is in focus, the background isn't.  Honestly, I'd never really thought about this before and I had to go through my archives to find an example of it.  I took this photo while we were over in Arizona, in Scottsdale, in August this summer.   Since I usually take landscapes, I had to really search for an example.  I hope this is a decent one...Sunday Stills Challenge for 112711.  To visit Sunday Stills Challenge, please go to:  http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/

Red Rose~Macro Monday and Ruby Tuesday~112211

Pure elegance.  I LOVE roses.  Macro Monday and Ruby Tuesday for November 22, 2011.  Not in my garden, however...this one is down at our park.  To visit Macro Monday, please go to:  http://lisaschaos.com/  To visit Ruby Tuesday, please go to:  http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/

Zinnias~Today's Flowers~111311

I took these photos back in August of this year and put them in my archives.  I was going through them today and thought I'd share their color with you.  We've had two days of rain here in the desert and in our mountains and I could sure use some color!  Today's Flowers for November 13, 2011. All photos taken at the Desert springs Marriott in Palm Desert, CA.  And, you notice that they all have a bee in them except the top one!  I honestly don't remember the bees, but they sure must have been out that day! To visit Today's Flowers, please go to:  http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/

Red rose~Today's Flowers and SOOC Sunday~103011

This beautiful, red rose was down at our local park.  I stopped by this morning to take some photos for the Sunday Stills Challenge and I walked over to the rose garden.  The sprinklers had just gone off and drops of water were on the roses.  I may return tomorrow morning for another look!  Today's Flowers and SOOC Sunday  for October 30, 2011. To see Today's Flowers, please go to:  http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/ To visit SOOC Sunday, please go to:  http://www.murrieta365.com/

Yellow Roses~Mellow Yellow Monday~October 17, 2011

Aren't they gorgeous?  These yellow roses were blooming last weekend.  There isn't much blooming right now, but these roses are in full bloom.  Mellow Yellow Monday for October 17, 2011.  No, these are NOT my roses!  I can't seem to grow roses at all~To view Mellow Yellow Monday, please go to:  http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

Roses~Today's Flowers~101611

There aren't many flowers growing now.  We are between growing seasons.  I just planted a wildflower mixture in my front yard, along my neighbor's fence and the seeds have just sprouted.  It will be months before there is anything to photograph there.  I did, however, find these roses up at the horse ranch where I board my horses.  Aren't they gorgeous?  I'm glad they are blooming!  Today's Flowers for October 16, 2011.  The maples and aspen up there are turning yellow and I'll be going back next weekend to see their colors.

Bougenvilla in the afternoon~Today's Flowers~100911

You know, it's nice to be HOME for the weekend.  We've been gone for the last 3 weekends and I finally got to sit down and watch the birds at the feeders today and wander around my yard!  I just planted my area of desert wildflowers and I'm watering it daily.  Our bougenvillas are in bloom again and I caught this one today.  Today's Flowers for Sunday, October 9, 2011.

My neighbor's rose~Saturday Flowers~100811

My neighbor is a landscaper and she has the most beautiful garden.  She has a corner lot and when she moved in, she put an olive tree right in the middle of it and then planted flowers around it.  She has roses along her driveway and last weekend I wandered over with my camera.  This summer, as most summers, was pretty harsh on her plants, except for her black-eyed Susans and roses.  Isn't this one beautiful?  Look how delicate the petals are.  I've tried to grow roses for 30 years and I finally just gave up.  My parents had a beautiful rose garden which my father enhanced with trailer loads of horse manure, but I can't grow a single rose!  Go figure...sigh...Saturday Flowers for 100811.  I guess I'll just have to enjoy my neighbor's roses! To visit Flowers on Saturday, please go to:  http://blueberrycraftandhobbytime.blogspot.com/

Pretty flowers~Mellow Yellow Monday~100311

I wandered over to my neighbor's yard this morning and found these pretty flowers.  I raked my front planting area this morning and we might have rain Wednesday and/or Thursday down here, so I need to sow my wildflower seeds before the rain comes.  So, I'll probably be out there tomorrow afternoon and Tuesday afternoon.  Last year I had California poppies, African daisies, desert lupine, and some other flowers which I didn't even know. I noticed that my neighbor was out pulling some of these out this afternoon, so I'm glad she allowed me to take photos this morning!  Mellow Yellow Monday for October 3, 2011. To visit Mellow Yellow Monday, please go to:  http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

Water droplets~Sunday stills Challenge~100211

Water drops on my bougenvilla.  It has some pink blossoms, but it was too dark to see them this morning, so I may go out later.  Sunday Stills Challenge 100211.  http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/

Colorful flowers, Arizona~Garden Bloggers Bloom Day~091511

Fall in the desert southwest is different than most parts of the country.  Here in the Coachella Valley, August is a time for the fields to lie fallow.  I took these photos over in Arizona in August.  I honestly don't know what this plant is~can somebody please tell me?  I liked how it curved over.  The bees certainly liked it, too!  Garden Bloggers Bloom Day for September 15, 2011. If you want to stop by GBBD, please go to:  http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/

Dragon's teeth? ~Sunday stills Challenge~081411

No, just the pointy spines on an agave!  But, don't they look like dragon's teeth?  I just love these!  I found these on my morning walk at the Marriott Desert Ridge villas.  There were quail, cottontails, doves, and cactus wrens out and about at dawn this morning.  It was a nice walk then.  I went out again about 8:00 a.m. and it was so hot and sticky and HUMID that I came back to our room completely soaked with perspiration!!!  Sunday Stills Challenge for August 14, 2011.

Mexican Bird of Paradise~Today's Flowers~072411

Hubby and I are over in Arizona this weekend, in Scottsdale. We decided to get out of our desert and go sit in a hotel in another one! I know that sounds crazy, but we both needed a change of scenery. So, yesterday morning I marched out with my camera to take some photos of the area next to the pool which is below our room. It was hot by 9:00 a.m. and I wasn't outside long...just long enough to snap a couple of quick photos! This is a Mexican bird of paradise bush. We have them in our desert, too, but I haven't stopped to take any photos of them this summer. Aren't they gorgeous? I have some in my yard, but mine are pure yellow. These are very hardy bushes and they propagate easily. I like the multicolored ones better! Today's Flowers for July 24, 2011. To visit Today's Flowers, please go to: http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/

Camelback Resort flowers~Today's Flowers~060511

I took an early morning walk one morning over at Camelback Resort, in Scottsdale, Arizona and stopped to admire one of their planters. Aren't they pretty? Today's Flowers for June 5, 2011.

After the sprinklers came on~Today's Flowers~052911

These flowers are NOT in my garden. Instead, I found them at the Marriott's Camelback Inn and Resort. I had driven over there yesterday morning to do my morning walk (i.e. "death march") at 5:00 a.m. I did my walk (hike) and was busy taking photos when, all of a sudden, my camera wouldn't click...that means only one thing...a DEAD BATTERY! I was at the top of the resort. My car was safely parked at the parking lot at the bottom of the resort, so off I went. Upon inserting a new battery, I walked back to the top and found these flowers which had been recently watered by their watering system. They were covered with water droplets and I just had to take pics of them! Today's Flowers for May 29, 2011. To see other gardens, please go to: http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/

Sunflowers and Black Eyed Susans planted!

I planted more sunflower seeds and black eyed susans today. I had watered a sunny area next to our neighbor's block fence and decided to plant them there, since we will be able to see them from the house. I hope they grow and grow and grow! They'll also be a food source for the birds which visit our back yard! I'm thinking about planting other seeds along that fence, since it travels the entire length of our back yard. **NOT MY PHOTO***

Joe's Farm Grill and community gardens, Arizona

So, last Thursday afternoon, after a grueling day at school, hubby announced we would be going to Arizona for the weekend "to relax". Huh? Relax? I get up at 5:00 every morning, go for a walk, and then complete my day. His idea of relaxing is to go somewhere and sit in the hotel room ALL DAY. (not my idea of relaxing...) But, FINALLY yesterday, we hit the road and drove over to Joe's Grill which is...I don't know where it is! Somewhere near Gilbert, Arizona...anyway, while he stood in line to order our food, I wandered across the street to the community gardens. Oh, MY! Those folks must use a LOT of fertilizer! Their sunflowers were HUGE! Their hollyhocks were HUGE! I did notice that they had a compost pile and used alfalfa around their plants...hmmm....I have TONS of horse manure (from my 5 horses...)...guess I'll have to start putting it around my plants! Just LOOK at these flowers! I'm SO JEALOUS! I must admit that I was in awe of their gardens! I REALLY need to rethink mine now! If you want to visit Joe's website, here's the link: http://joesfarmgrill.com/